Welcome to Powerboat Safety & Operating School

Last Updated on 16 March 2015

Welcome to Powerboat Safety & Operating School

Basic Powerboat Handling Training is currently closed until further notice. Thank you for viewing our site.

Powerboat SOS is hands-on, at the helm, on the water powerboat training school. Our goal is to enhance the safety and fun of operating powerboats by increasing the skills, competence and confidence of power boaters through safe, fun powerboat training.

It is easy to sit in a classroom for hours listening to a lecturer, or read a book about boating in an effort to increase our knowledge of safety, navigation, rules of the road, and handling emergencies. However, there is only one way to gain competence, experience and increase your boat handling skills – that is, with direct hands on, at the helm training on the water by Powerboat Safety & Operating School’s experienced, certified, licensed professional instructors.

Our basic powerboat handling course is designed for you individually based on your skill level and prior experience. We maintain an extremely low student to instructor ratio in order to focus on the skill levels of each student. We never put more than two students in a powerboat with a US Coast Guard licensed instructor. Our instructors are also certified to teach powerboat handling by a nationally recognized certification organization, US Powerboating. They also carry American Red Cross CPR and First Aid certifications. In addition, they have years of experience on our waterways handling powerboats of all sizes and in all weather conditions and boating situations.

Powerboat Safety & Operating School (Powerboat SOS) is located in St. Petersburg, Florida.

If you have no experience handling a powerboat, we can insure that your boating days on the water are safe and enjoyable ones for both you and your family and friends. We will turn your concerns and lack of knowledge into confidence and competence at the helm.

If you are an experienced powerboat owner who just purchased a larger power boat or who is changing boat designs, you can also benefit from a few hours of powerboat training bringing your skill level up to the demands required to safely handle a new powerboat.

Or, if you are a spouse or friend who wants to learn to operate your own boat to make your family boating activities or cruises more enjoyable for everyone in the family. We can help you gain that proficiency and certification.

Whatever your circumstances, call Capt. Shar Fillingham at (727) 403-0520 and give the Powerboat Safety & Operating School the opportunity to enrich your days on the water by removing that anxiety and apprehension resulting from the lack of powerboat handling skills. We can change your entire future boating experiences.

Our philosophy is simple: We enjoy and know boats and the people who operate them; and Our training demands safety, fun and learning.